UK Power Networks - Experts & Thought Leaders

The trials for Optimise Prime, the world’s biggest trial of commercial electric vehicles (EVs) have come to an end, and demonstrated how barriers, such as cost and energy demand, can be overcome through digitization and new product offerings. The outcomes of this landmark study follow a year-long trial, and could help unlock the mass rollout of EV fleets across the United Kingdom (UK) and beyond. Fast roll out of EVs is vital for the UK The fast roll out of electric vehicle fleets is vital for the UK to meet its net zero goals. The sixth carbon budget requires that all new cars and vans are low-carbon and largely electric by the early 2030s. The Climate Change Committee also advises that companies lead the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK by switching their vehicle fleets to EVs in the 2020s. Optimise Prime trials The Optimise Prime trials began in July 2021 and have been led by Hitachi Europe and UK Power Networks The Optimise Prime trials began in July 2021 and have been led by Hitachi Europe and electricity distributor - UK Power Networks. The trial saw over 8,000 electric vehicles from Centrica, Uber and a large UK depot based parcel carrier take to the roads across the UK, supported by distribution networks including Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, and partners Hitachi Vantara and Novuna Vehicle Solutions. The trials included depot, home, and on-the-road charging. End-to-end overview on benefits of switching to EVs The project delivered an end-to-end overview of what the switch to EVs means for the cables and substations that deliver electricity to the community, for the businesses that need to invest in new infrastructure, and for the fleet owners that need to power their vehicles. Advice was also provided to fleet operators, in order to ensure that they were getting the most out of this project. Key interim findings of the trial found that: EV models can cover the typical range requirements for all three types of fleets, making electrification feasible and achievable. To enable the private hire EV transition, a London Borough such as Tower Hamlets alone will need around 3,200 more chargers by 2025. In the longer term, the trials highlight how EV fleets can generate revenue and support network operators by offering ‘turn-down’ services where fleets can be charged only when needed, and stop charging during peak times on the electricity network. Digitalization can allow for charging to be forecast by fleet and network operators to help manage demand at peak times on the network. Make the move to more sustainable transport Our work alongside key partners in this trial has shown that the ambitious EV rollout is possible" “With road vehicles being the biggest producer of the UK's transport emissions, it is clear that individuals and businesses need to make the move to more sustainable transport,” said John Whybrow, Optimise Prime Business Lead at Hitachi Europe Ltd. John Whybrow adds, “Our work alongside key partners in this trial has shown that the ambitious EV rollout is possible, and with the use of data, we can overcome the challenges being faced by businesses such as costs and charging availability. Making the transition to EVs easier and cheaper is key in accelerating the road to net zero, not just in the UK but globally.” Electrification of the vehicle fleet Ian Cameron, the Director of Customer Service and Innovation at UK Power Networks, said “Electrifying your vehicle fleet is a big step to take, but we are making it cheaper, quicker and easier than you ever thought possible; our project has proved that. We set out to come up with practical solutions to cut the cost of fleets going electric and that's exactly what we have done – along with a mass of insights and learnings to help fleet managers.” Ian Cameron adds, “Just one example is how using smart charging can go a long way to lowering your up-front costs. And perhaps the best feedback we've had is from a fleet manager in the trial who said they had no idea of all the clever things happening in the background because it happened seamlessly without impacting on operations.” Careful planning - essential for fleet managers Careful planning is essential for fleet managers, as they consider transitioning to EVs. Hitachi has put together a comprehensive guide based on the experiences of Optimise Prime, which considers business needs, site constraints (both physical and electrical) and the management of changes to business processes. This, plus the final results and datasets on commercial EV charging and use will be shared openly on the UK Power Networks’ open data platform in the coming months, in order to help the wider industry be better prepared for making the switch.

UK Power Networks (UKPN), the Distribution System Operator (DSO), has chosen Electric Miles to help deliver its smart grid that will increase the resilience of the network. UKPN has awarded energy capacity contracts worth £30 million to 17 innovators in the energy, tech and car sector, including Electric Miles, making it the UK’s largest-ever ‘Flexibility’ tender. Grid-balancing flexibility Electric Miles will deliver up to 20 MW of grid-balancing flexibility across London As part of a seven-year contract, Electric Miles will deliver up to 20 MW of grid-balancing flexibility across London and the South East through its innovative electric vehicles (EV) charging software. Electric Miles has already secured earlier flexibility contracts with UKPN and another with Western Power Distribution and Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN) to provide flexibility across the Midlands and Wales. EV drivers and the electricity network Arun Anand, Founder and CEO of Electric Miles, said: “Thank you to UK Power Networks for trusting in a young start-up like Electric Miles by awarding us a follow up to the initial contract with the opportunity to serve customers in highly constrained areas. We have already kicked off a pilot on our initial contract as part of the Intraflex project in partnership with Offgrid Energy.” He adds, “Our Electric Miles app will make it possible for customers to optimize the charging needs of their electric vehicle leveraging the UKPN flexibility contracts. It’s essential to have our ears close to the ground to learn from this early experience to deliver a great product that can remove the friction between the EV drivers and the electricity network and democratise the energy market. This project is helping to prove the capability of our platform in the real world.” Transition to the Grid of the future Electric Miles is recruiting drivers in specific areas who want to participate in this new and exciting journey The company says it is on a mission to help with the transition to the grid of the future. Its app-based software allows users to charge their cars or home batteries at the cheapest possible time, while taking demand off the grid at peak times. App users can cut the cost of charging, or share the benefits by charging at the right time, while also reducing the impact of EV charging on the environment. As part of the trial, Electric Miles is recruiting drivers in specific areas who want to participate in this new and exciting journey. Arun Anand says, “We are building seamless integration with the energy ecosystem. EV drivers or fleets can register on our intelligent platform that matches the drivers to our contract and we will share the benefits.” Key requirement for the EV revolution What’s clever about the Electric Miles Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution is that it can prioritise charging when more renewables are on the Grid, helping companies achieve their own carbon savings. However, the app also ensures vehicles are properly charged for when they are needed. Software solutions, like those provided by Electric Miles, are seen as a key requirement for the EV revolution. Network operators are facing a charging nightmare as more electric cars and vans hit the roads. It’s predicted there will be 4.5 million electric vehicles across London, the South East, and the East of England by 2030. If all of those vehicles were to charge at the same time, the Grid wouldn’t be able to cope, causing severe blackouts. Net Zero future by 2050 The app also ensures vehicles are properly charged when they are needed Arun Anand explains, "We are working with energy suppliers by developing EV tariffs that can work in conjunction with our SMART app to help automate the charging experience by shifting demand on the network from peak times to low. Using the Intelligence of the EM platform, we will enable network operators to avoid costly upgrades of the Grid, particularly in congested areas like cities. It’s cheaper to pay for the flexibility that we can offer than to reinforce the network." Stuart Lloyd-Evans from Electric Miles, said, "We’re pleased our SaaS solution has been recognized as a valuable asset in the UK’s journey to a Net Zero future by 2050. Not only can we help DSOs reduce their reinforcing costs through our grid balancing services, but we also give our users ways to save money and share the benefits." Challenge of reaching Net Zero Sul Alli, Director of Strategy and Customer Services at UK Power Networks, said: "Britain is pioneering the world at harnessing the power of all these electric vehicle batteries that are going to be connected and using them for the public good. Three years ago, this market didn’t exist and now it’s offering as much capacity as a gas-fired power station." Sul Alli adds, "We’re working with some of the most exciting start-ups out there, and we’re proving it in the real world. There’s a long way to go and no silver bullet, but the way we’re using technology and data is going to be a big part of the answer to meeting the challenge of reaching Net Zero."